Chapter 313

Hayden and I stood by the river, listening to the water as the wind whipped through the trees. After a while, my legs grew weary; I was exhausted.

"What's wrong?" Hayden asked.

"I need to sit. My legs are sore," I admitted.

Without hesitation, he scooped me up by the waist, carrying me to a large rock as if I weighed nothing. Even though he often did this, I still felt shy. "I can walk, you know."

He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just say your legs were sore? How are you going to walk?"

I stuck out my tongue, conceding the point.

He set me down, then sat beside me. Before I could scoot closer, his arm hooked around my waist, pulling me into his lap. What was he up to now?

Before I could ask, he whispered, "The rock's cold."

Seriously, was there a more thoughtful boyfriend than Hayden?

"Thanks, boyfriend," I said, giving him a quick kiss. But the instant my lips touched his, something felt amiss—a faint trace of tobacco. I froze.

Had he been smoking? So, he'd come to the river alone to smoke.

Realizing why I'd pulled back, Hayden sighed, "I won't smoke anymore. Today was the last time."

I shook my head. "You don't have to quit for me."

He looked at me, his eyes locking with mine. I brushed my fingers over his brow. "Just don't overdo it. It's bad for you." As I spoke, a strange sadness crept in. My chest tightened, and I felt the familiar sting of tears. "Hayden, you're the closest person I have now. Please… take care of yourself. I need you around for a long time."

The idea of forever, once so distant, suddenly felt incredibly precious.

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he held me tighter. My mind drifted to the accident report I hadn't finished. I'd stopped halfway through, unable to face the conclusion.

"Hayden, did you read the report about my parents' accident?" I asked, resting my head against his chest.

He held me closer before answering in a low voice, "It's over now. Let's not dwell on it."

I knew he was worried I'd break down. "I'm not as scared as before."

Even so, the thought of those pictures made me shudder. "Can you just tell me?" I asked.

"Tell you what?" he asked softly.

"What did the report say? How did it end?"

Hayden fell silent, and my heart sank. I pulled back, looking up at him. "Why aren't you saying anything? Was something wrong?"

His gaze fell, his eyes clouding over.

I swallowed hard. "Hayden."

After a moment, he said, "It was a problem with the car."

I frowned. "What kind of problem?"

Hayden opened his mouth, but no words came out. Suddenly, Lindey's earlier words flashed in my mind. "Was it the brakes?" I asked directly.